World debt comparison: The global debt clock Futarchy: Vote Values, But Bet Beliefs by Robin Hanson This short "manifesto" describes a new form of government. In "futarchy," we would vote on values, but bet on beliefs. Elected representatives would formally define and manage an after-the-fact measurement of national welfare, while market speculators would say which policies they expect to raise national welfare. Democracy seems better than autocracy (i.e., kings and dictators), but it still has problems. These policies are not just dumb in retrospect; typically there were people who understood a lot about such policies and who had good reasons to disapprove of them beforehand. Would some other form of government more consistently listen to relevant experts? "Futarchy" is an as yet untried form of government intended to address such problems. When a betting market clearly estimates that a proposed policy would increase expected national welfare, that proposal becomes law. Futarchy seems promising if we accept the following three assumptions: Media mentions of futarchy:
The Corporation Welcome to YouTube! The location filter shows you popular videos from the selected country or region on lists like Most Viewed and in search results.To change your location filter, please use the links in the footer at the bottom of the page. Click "OK" to accept this setting, or click "Cancel" to set your location filter to "Worldwide". The location filter shows you popular videos from the selected country or region on lists like Most Viewed and in search results. Loading... Google+ YouTube Integration: Kind of Like Twilight, Except In This Version When +Cullen Drinks BellaTube’s Blood They Both Become Mortal, But +Cullen Is Still An Abusive Creep, Also It Is Still Bad | Vi Hart The choice between having to use Google+ and never commenting on YouTube again is laughably easy for me. I invested so much into my YouTube channel, and they’re taking that investment and threatening to throw it away if I don’t also start investing in Google+. No thank you Google, but you’ve already made me regret investing so much into you the first time. Google was so good at being Google! + Google is trying to re-animate a failed platform by leeching off of a successful one, despite that the failed platform failed because it is bad, and more users are not going to make it less bad + Google’s publicized selling point was “comments just got better” while in actuality they managed to take what we all thought was the lowest of the low and actually make it worse (this is a significant accomplishment that leaves me in awe) + YouTube has long known their comment section is awful, and out of many possible improvements, the easiest solution is NOT integrating an entire social network.
Europe According to Stereotype | andrewcusack.com A London-based graphic designer has created a series of maps depicting Europe according to the national stereotypes in the minds of various peoples. Yanko Tsvetkov, a Bulgarian living in Great Britain, created the first one in 2009 in the midst of the energy dispute between Russia and the Ukraine. Russia was labelled “Paranoid Oil Empire”, the Ukraine “Gas Stealers”, and the E.U. as “Union of Subsidized Farmers”. Switzerland was simply “Bank”. “I created the first one in 2009 because at that time there was an energy crisis in Europe,” Mr. Tsvetkov said. Europe according to the French. Europe according to the Germans. Europe according to the Italians. Europe according to the British. Europe according to the Americans.
Mr. Google's Guidebook Mr. Google realized that most people don't really want maps, they want guidebooks. And he also realized how he could use those signposts to build a good guidebook. As I read further, a storm rose up in the west. It was late at night by the time I read this remarkable fact, and I'd had several more glasses of sherry. After a tussle I got the shutters closed and, shaken, returned to my leatherbound armchair and took another sip to calm my nerves. At some universities, administrators are taking a new approach to deciding where to put footpaths. Maybe that's all it is then, I thought. I was standing with my mother in York; one of many visits some years ago. I awoke with a start. I was just about to put down the pen, exhausted now, when I heard a creak and the door to the library opened. But Mr. My shoulders sagged. - No (said Google). He held out his hand, imperious now. "Thank you sir. I turned away from him and stumbled down the stairs.
Outfoxed – Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism Documentary | Watch Free Documentary Online “Outfoxed” examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, have been running a “race to the bottom” in television news. This documentary provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public’s right to know. The film explores Murdoch’s burgeoning kingdom and the impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person. Media experts, including Jeff Cohen (FAIR) Bob McChesney (Free Press), Chellie Pingree (Common Cause), Jeff Chester (Center for Digital Democracy) and David Brock (Media Matters) provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and its effect on society. This documentary also reveals the secrets of Former Fox News producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it’s like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a “right-wing” point of view or risk their jobs.